The Irish House & Polokwane Museum - Polokwane, Limpopo

Right in the centre of the city of Polokwane is Irish House, a Victorian building that was prefabricated and moved complete to the city by a German immigrant, August Julius Herman Moschke in the early 1900s. The building was burnt down by a fire in 1906 and rebuilt in 1910. During World War 1 Moschke was interned and upon his release he found the building in a state of disrepair and the building was then sold to an Irishman, James Albert Jones, in 1920 and housed a general dealer. Jones traveled overseas to import clothes for the fashion conscious ladies and gentlemen of Polokwane then known as Pietersburg. It was Jones who gave the building the name Irish House.

Irish House degraded over the years until 1984 when the City Council of Polokwane purchased the building and converted it into a museum. The city council restored the building to its former glory when it was still the Irish House, complete with its green paint.

Today, Irish House functions as a museum that forms part of the Polokwane Museum, showcasing local history and cultural artifacts from the region. Visitors can explore exhibitions on Polokwane's development, the history of the local people, and various temporary exhibits that reflect on the area’s rich cultural heritage.

Contact details for Irish House:
Phone: +27 15 290 2182
Email: museum@polokwane.gov.za
Address: Corner of Market Street and Thabo Mbeki Street, Polokwane Central, Polokwane, 0700

Irish House is a must-visit for anyone interested in the history of Polokwane (Pietersburg) and its surrounding area.